This is really more of a remodel than a trash-t0-treasure but it still fits nicely for a Thursday crafting post! One of the topics I like to search for on Pinterest are ideas for using chalkboard paint around the home. You can see some really cool ideas on my Chalk Love board. I broke down a few weeks ago and bought a jar of chalkboard paint and a magnetic primer. How to Turn a Door into a Chalkboard (and magnetic) Step 1: Decide what you want to paint. This was the hardest part for me. I didn't want it to be a spot in my house where I would regret my decision. I started small and chose the hall door in the foyer of our house. I didn't tell my husband where I was going to do this because I didn't want him to 'change my mind!' Step 2: The magnetic primer called for 2 coats in order to be strong enough to hold a magnet after the chalkboard paint was applied. Be sure to read the directions about how long to let each coat cure before proceeding to the next coat. I did ... [ Read More ]
Trash to Treasure Halloween Wreath – Inspired by Pinterest
A few weeks ago I shared with you a pin-spiration project that was found while searching Pinterest for hours on end. A few days later the boy and I made a trip to our local craft store to pick up the wire form needed to complete the project. I ended up with 2 large wire wreath forms and 2 small forms. We experimented with the small form first, here is our progress: Trash to Treasure Halloween Wreath Tutorial (with pictures): First start with a pile of fabric and/or t-shirt scraps and select the color scheme for your wreath. Since this is a Halloween theme we went with oranges, purples, blacks, greens, yellow, and a few old Halloween scraps. The tools we used for the project were very simple - a wire wreath form, a pair of scissors, and fabric. We didn't use anything else for our project and it was very kid friendly. Cut your fabric into strips about 1" in width. The length of the strips depends on the size of your form. Using a small form our strips were ... [ Read More ]
Cloth Diapers for Baby Dolls
Day 12 - Baby dolls need cloth diapers too! Starting last December (2009) I've been slowly growing confidence behind my sewing machine and sewing up some cute projects around the home. Lil' B has recently fallen in love with baby dolls and now has three of them. All of which have bare bums - no diapers included. I decided last night to look around online and see what I could find for doll cloth diapers. Thanks to @taprilcrosier and @mrsob1 for leading me to Etsy where I actually bought a few items that I'll share with you once they arrive. However, I'm very impatient and my super mom complex kicked in tonight so I decided to make my own baby doll cloth diapers. I actually started out making a baby doll sling so Lil' B could wear her baby doll just like I once wore her. That project took an entire 5 minutes to make (seriously it was that easy) so I found a pattern for doll cloth diapers on Skip to my Lou - a fabulous craft blog that I read almost daily. Here is how my ... [ Read More ]
TerraCycle’s Garbage Moguls Returns Saturday 8/21/10 to National Geographic
In honor of Trash to Treasure Thursday, this week I'm super excited to bring you the latest and greatest news from TERRACYCLE! In April, TerraCycle debuted Garbage Moguls on the National Geograpic Channel - a series of television shows that documented the zany antics of the TerraCycle crew as they develop new products from our garbage. This Saturday, National Geographic will be airing the pilot along with three brand new episodes! Set your DVR's - plan a night in with friends - but don't forget to watch Garbage Moguls this Saturday night. The fun begins at 7pm ET as they replay the original pilot episode, followed at 8pm's Pet Project, 9pm's Fishy Business, and at 10pm pull an All-Nighter with the TerraCycle crew. Below is a clip from the 9pm Fishy Business episode where they Tom and Alby visit a plant in Ohio that turns 500 chip bags into a brand new trash can and pitch the idea to the Home Depot team in Atlanta. Be sure to join the TerraCycle preview party LIVE on ... [ Read More ]
Trash to Treasure Thursday with Generation T
Giveaway alert! Two lucky readers will win one of the Generation T books by Megan Nicolay - details at the end of this post. ECO-ngratulations Alanna & Shirtee. As you know I've been better and better at actually completing eco-crafty projects each week for you. This week is the jackpot of all Trash to Treasure Thursdays with a collection of projects and a giveaway! I've been infatuated with finding ways to reuse or upcycle old t-shirts - I scour the blogosphere, YouTube, Etsy, and other crafty websites looking for innovative ways to use t-shirts. In one of my searches I came across Generation T and Megan Nicolay. Who is Megan Nicolay? Much like myself Megan has had the crafty bug since she was a child - always looking for the next great project. We also share a common statement - "I could so do that!" My friends and family are always telling me - "You could do that!" when they see anything. Megan began her website www.Generation-T.com back in 2005 and by 2006 she published ... [ Read More ]
Trash to Treasure – T-shirt Scarf
I have been sewing lots lately and decided to use the fabrics that I have on hand instead of going back to the store to buy brand new, fancy fabrics. Most of my on-hand fabrics are old, retired t-shirts. I've seen many different varieties of a t-shirt scarf and here is my own version. Supplies: 2 adult t-shirts, a sewing machine, pins, needle, thread, and scissors Directions: -Decide how wide you want your scarf to be. I used a scarf I had on hand as a guide. -Cut strips from your shirts. I cut about 8" wide strips starting from the bottom of the shirt (cute through both sides). Remove arms and neck pieces. -After I cut the width strips I cut those strips into 12" lengths (approx. size only - all sizes can vary). -Decide on a pattern and color scheme by laying the strips out the way you would like them on your scarf. -Pin the front sides of two (2) pieces - continue this process all the way down the length of your scarf. My length was about five (5) pieces - well ... [ Read More ]
Trash to Treasure Doggy Bed
I usually save these posts for Thursdays but I had to share my latest project with you today. My sewing machine has been quite busy lately but I've put myself on a fabric buying ban! Seems that I get a little carried away at the fabric store with all the pretty prints. If you remember my last Trash to Treasure Thursday (tie-dyed ruffle skirt) I still had parts of that the tie-dyed t-shirt in my fabric box. My sweet (mischievous) pug decided recently to attack (and destroy) his pet bed - or should I say he redecorated the house with stuffing! I decided it was time for him to have a new bed - but I refuse to buy him a new one! Afterall it will only be a matter of weeks before it's used to redecorate the house too. For this project I measured the size of the crate to determine the dimensions of the doggy bed. From that I cut the t-shirt into the outer dimensions (plus a few extra inches for seam allowance). Since the t-shirt wasn't quite large enough for the entire bed I cut ... [ Read More ]
Trash to Treasure Thursday
My husband cleaned out his drawers a few months back and gave me some of his old t-shirts to experiment with. I got a sewing machine for Christmas (for myself) and have been learning as I go. I took a sewing class in High School but that was YEARS ago...so I've become friends of YouTube to re-teach me how to sew. This use to be a concert t-shirt that he probably wore only a few times. Now it's a cute toddler skirt. I didn't have a pattern to follow - but I did look closely at a skirt that she already has in her wardrobe as a reference. I forgot to take pictures along the way but I promise to make it again and provide you with a tutorial. Have you made any Trash to Treasure projects this week? I'd love to see them - leave a comment with a link to your pictures. ... [ Read More ]
Happy Earth Day
Now before you start leaving me funny comments about how Earth Day was LAST week let me begin by saying that Earth Day in our house is celebrated 365 days a year. Since I was out of town on business last week I didn't get a chance to write what was on my mind about Earth Day. So today you are all going to celebrate Earth Day again...with me! When the very first Earth Day was celebrated I was still safely nestled inside an egg in my mothers body. It wasn't until a few years later that I would be welcomed onto the Earth and begin leaving my footprints on her. I remember as a child having passion for projects - the homeless, the hungry children in Africa, the stray dogs in the neighborhood - you name it, I had to be involved. As I got older this passion for projects turned into a career and I am now one of many who claim to be a protector of the planet. While I may not lead the perfect green lifestyle I do make a difference with my small changes. I am fortunate to be ... [ Read More ]
More Eco-Gift Wrapping Ideas & Directions
This is the first year that I've actually tried not to buy new gift wrap, ribbons, and tags for our holiday gift wrapping. We still have several rolls of wrapping paper (I doubt we will ever run out!) but I really wanted to make some of our wrappings a little more eco-friendly in nature. One of our gifts to wrap was a cute little tutu (3 actually) for some of Big B's girlfriends. How on earth do you wrap a tutu anyways? I decided to take use some old t-shirts for the wrapping and tie them with tulle that was left over from the tutus (yes, I made the tutus as well). For the tags I cut out shapes from food boxes that were in our recycling box and tied them on. I'm sure if I had taken my time I could have made them even prettier but those who know me know that my time is limited these days! Here is the final product...not too bad! And remember all those magazinesI told you I received in the mail? I decided to make some upcycled ribbons from them. I found a simple tutorial ... [ Read More ]